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Tag Archives: pumpkin hummus

Tonight is HALLOWEEN and we’re getting all set up here for the big night. Our neighborhood attracts lots of little ghouls, by which I mean almost 200 trick-or-treaters. It’s kind of an occasion and we love to make special snacks and drinks. After all, there needs to be something besides candy, right?

Below, we invite you to join us and try Pumpkin Hummus, the Pom Positive shot, the Blood-Thirsty Werewolf cocktail, Coffin Crunchers and Vampire Apple Bites. After Halloween, check out our idea to upcycle your leftover broken decor pieces and used spooky cobwebs into fresh wreaths for next Halloween.

Enjoy – and HAPPY HAUNTING!

Pumpkin Hummus

This simple recipe comes together in about three minutes! Just add crackers for instant Halloween snacking.

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp. fresh rosemary (woody stems removed)

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. white pepper

2 tsp. cumin

pinch nutmeg

pinch cayenne (optional)

salt, to taste

fresh parsley, to garnish

crackers or fresh veggies, to serve

Add garlic and fresh rosemary to a food processor or high speed blender with lemon juice. Process until garlic and rosemary are finely minced. Add pumpkin, rinsed/drained chickpeas, paprika, white pepper, cumin, nutmeg, cayenne and salt. Pulse until all ingredients form a smooth dip. Serve immediately or chill. Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley and serve with crackers or fresh veggies for dipping. Also makes a yummy spread for sandwiches and wraps.

Blood-Thirsty Werewolf Cocktail

Yes, this drink asks for some special ingredients but we promise, they’re worth the effort. The William Wolf Pecan Bourbon is incredible! Many major grocery chains carry San Pellirgino and to find the specific spirits, be sure to check their websites for retailers.

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake and pour into a shot glass.

Coffin Crunchers & Black-as-Night Dip

Making a themed Halloween snack is always a festive touch. This recipe is cross-posted to Sister Eden ~ tortillas are baked into crispy coffin cruncher crackers and served in black bean dip flavored with avocado, fresh lime, salsa and spices. From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes, so there’s still plenty of time to put finishing touches on your Halloween costume. Check out the recipe at this link.Vampire Apple Bites

Need a spooky activity for your little gobins? Try making these fun Vampire Apple Bites. With a small ingredient list, the apple “mouths” come together quickly using your favorite nut or seed butters, some jam “blood” and teeth made from almond silvers. Easy to adjust for any nut butter – peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower seed, soy nut or macadamia nut butters all work. Ahem… so does chocolate nut butter! The instructions for this fun, easy snack are cross-posted at Sister Eden’s blog. Won’t you drop in for a bite? Hee hee – I had to say it!

Nov. 1: Upcycled Halloween Cobwebs and Skeleton Parts

So what happens tomorrow morning? It’s November 1st and you;ve got gobs and gobs of leftover cobweb. On our end, we actually save it and use it again, year after year. Yes, there are some leaves in there, but it’s fine to keep. Plus, you know that stuff will never, ever decompose. If you’re crafty, though, steal our idea and give an old wreath, like the tired Christmas wreath on the left a facelift. We used the same flowers, a little paint, hot glue and stray ribbon and decorations to upcycle a wreath and cobwebs into a fun new decoration. More details from this project are on the Sister Eden blog.

Don’t have any old cobwebs, but you do have a bunch of broken skeletons pieces? We did, too. So we bent a few branches into a second wreath, painted the “parts” an updated gold color, and hot-glued the various skeleton limbs into a frightening new wreath.